Gear recommendation for press announcement?

[Adrian Tan]

Hi everyone, wondering if you could help.

The job is to record a bank governor giving an announcement from a lectern. Lots of other news crews will be there. I've never done this sort of shoot before, and there's no real opportunity to do a location scout or anything beforehand.

Camera-wise, I think I'm okay. Planning on taking something like a C100 + 70-200, with a x2 extender in my pocket just in case. But audio-wise, what should I do? Can't get a feed off anywhere.

The journalist I'll be with says the other news teams will probably set up before the governor walks on stage, and will leave mics on stands pointed at the lectern. I suggested we bring a sound guy with a boom, but she said we'd be laughing stocks. So, that description suggests to me something like a wireless hypercardioid or supercardioid. But I'm worried that if we take a mic that's too directional, well, I don't know where the governor's mouth is exactly going to be, and I doubt I'll have an opportunity to adjust after he starts, so there's a risk I'd be screwed.

So, what microphone would you recommend? Probably looking to purchase rather than rent. Price tag: around $1000 is okay. $2000 is pushing it, but I might be able to talk the powers that be into spending.

And is there anything in the way of a backup that you'd recommend for this sort of a setup?

Many thanks in advance!

[Rob Cantwell]

for most of my filming I use either the XLR mic on the cam or a wireless Sennheiser EW100ENG G3. The wireless works ok if you can get the mic near the speaker, if not what I use is a Yamaha POCKETRAK C24 digital recorder, very small and lasts for hours with a handy clip so you can place it on a lectern etc. and the audio is pretty ok from it.
That version is discontinued and I don't know if they have an updated one or not

R.

[Noa Put]

I don't know if they have an updated one or not

Unfortunately, no, I have a c24 as well and regret not to have both 2 extra recorders when they where still available.
Concerning the announcement that needs to be recorded, how close can you get to your subject? If other teams are placing their mics on stands then why don't you do this as well? I"d place a stand and use a Tascam DR-10X with something like a RODE Reporter attached.

[Noa Put]

Or if you need wireless then maybe a Sennheiser ME 2 and connect that to your camera with a senheisser avx transmitter.

[Richard Crowley]

News reporters typically use omnidirectional microphones. For exactly the reasons you are concerned about. And very often they are dynamic mics (vs. electret condenser requiring power).
An excellent example of this genre is the Rode Reporter microphone: RØDE Microphones - Reporter
Considering where you are located, I would expect to see lots of those microphones at a press conference.

It is strange that a major press conference they wouldn't have a "press-box". They are rather common here in the US. It is a box like a suitcase with dozens of male XLR mic-level outputs so that they can put up one microphone in front of the presenter and provide a separate feed to every reporter.

If I were not a regular member of the press, I would be wary of using wireless. If there are dozens of reporters there, your chances of colliding with someone else seem considerably elevated. I wouldn't do it.

[Jim Feeley]

Some good comments so far. I'll repeat some stuff, but based on my experience covering press events as someone who's not a daily-broadcast-news guy:

*If they have a press box, they might not allow reporters to place mics on the podium. That's unlikely, but not unheard of in my work. So just to be sure, maybe bring a stick-mic transmitter (rather than a hand mic with a built-in transmitter) so you can stick that into the press box. Or at least a XLR-to-[your body pack transmitter's input pull] cable and a body pack transmitter.

*Bring a couple means of attaching your mic to/near the podium. A tiny triangle or weighted-base stand is nice, but you might need to clamp something to the stand, might want a couple different neck lengths, might need some gaff tape, etc. Maybe even a floor or slightly-taller desk stand.

*Maybe you'd want to be able (if necessary) to drop a body-pack transmitter along with a lav (rolled and taped to the TX) to stick on the podium if that's the way things go.

*Maybe think if there's room for a small recorder (like print reporters use, or a smartphone) or something on the podium or table. Kinda sucky sound, but reasonable backup.

*Think if you'll need to do any frequency coordination. That might just mean doing a scan to find an open frequency, but then someone else might come in later and stomp on your frequency (that's when having a non-wireless-transmission backup comes in handy). I don't know the frequency issues or b-cast news rules and customs in OZ... hopefully someone else can chime in here. If you end up stomping on a newscaster's frequency, that'll get really bad really heavy.

*The Tascam DR-10X recorder on a stick mic is a reasonable idea. No monitoring of your recording, but could work. But what kind of turnaround are you looking at? "The event just ended; here's our report" or do you have time to deal with double-system sound?

*Depending on things, --maybe-- you can run a cable from your mic to the camera. But in the chaos of a press scrum, that may not be prudent, safe, allowed...

*Ask if the bank people if they'll be recording the event.

Now to your question :-)

*The Rode mic seems OK, though I have done no more than try one out. In the US, a standard is a Electro-Voice RE50 (my pref: black and longer handle option). As others here have said, something directional could be inviting problems.


So the key thing ime is have a plan. And then a backup plan. And then a backup backup plan. And stay away from other people's frequencies.

Good luck!

[Paul R Johnson]

Frequency management is also hell! Twenty reporters with twenty different frequencies out of the box? Nope.

Those ideas are ideal above - another trick is to look at the gear others have put out. If you are lucky, somebody may have the same brand as you, so if you can read their frequency display - set a receiver on that and use their transmitter. If you have a mic - a square foam ID slid onto it serves a very useful purpose - it stops the omni falling off by rolling!

If you spend a lot of money on a radio system that isn't able to find a clear channel, or use one that wipes out somebody else - you won't be popular.

[David Peterson]

A low budget way to deal with this, just a thought as a start pointing to consider:

RodeLink News Shooter Kit to send the audio back to your C100 (plus have a scratch mic on the C100 as well) with some basic but quality shotgun like a Deity S-Mic 2.

Tascam DR10X as a back up option running at the same time, with a Rode Reporter's Mic.

[Andrew Smith]

This is how the Australian news crews handle it. :)

Andrew

[Rick Reineke]

If the organizers or someone else is not supplying a Press Bridge, a hardwired RE50 (or your favorite omni directional dynamic with a mount and/or stand to place it on or in close proximity podium is the best most reliable option.

[John Murphy]

I usually gaffer tape a lav to the mic stand on the podium. Wired is the most reliable. You can always stash a recorder at the podium, that way you don't have to run a cable. Wireless is ok if your lucky.
As a last resort you can hang a mic on the house speaker cabinet. It's not the best but better than nothing.

If the speaker is a roamer, well good luck! j